The Government's amendments to the 2021 Road Traffic Bill have passed, and if that doesn't sound like the most thrilling news possible, it will have significant impacts on our motoring and transport lives.
e-Scooter legislation
The biggest change is the Power to Vary Speed, Weight and Power in Definition of Powered Personal Transporters (PPTs) amendment, which basically allows for the introduction of e-scooters on a proper, legal basis. The amended legislation allows the Government to regulate the weight, power, and speed of s-scooters, as well as removing the Section 34 clause that prevents their use by people under the age of 16 (the Government admitted that Section 34 was basically unenforceable).
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said "I am very pleased that my colleagues in Government have approved these amendments. The Road Traffic and Roads Bill is already a substantial Bill, but these amendments are important, and I believe will prove very worthwhile. In particular, there has been a great deal of discussion about PPTs, and I have listened to this. This is an area where the technology is changing very rapidly. It is important that we can respond to what are sure to be many changes in this area in the relatively near future.
2030 electric cars target
"I know that much of the response to this Bill has, rightly, focused on the need to get the right legislation in place for PPTs. The Bill is however dealing with other matters too. Among the amendments proposed, one which I believe will prove particularly important in the coming decade is that relating to electric vehicles. If we are to achieve our goal of boosting take-up of electric cars, we need to have the necessary recharging infrastructure, and the new powers for TII will be an essential component in providing it. The new Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) will be taking on tasks already done across a number of bodies and will provide a much-needed focus in helping us to achieve our 2030 target."
That Office of Low Emission Vehicles will be given a remit to push the goal of putting one million electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2030 (we currently have 47,000 EVs for those keeping count...). In addition to the creation of the OLEV, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will be given more responsibility to speed up the roll-out of national charging infrastructure. Whether that will include the 100,000 public fast-chargers that the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) called for this week remains to be seen.
Blood alcohol measurements
Other changes in the Road Traffic Bill include changes to legislation allowing the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to revoke someone's driving licence, as well as opening up NCT records for scrutiny by second-hand car buyers. There will also be changes to the ways in which blood alcohol levels are measured, as well as changes to the way in which Dublin's M50 motorway is operated, and improvements to the BusConnects scheme.
Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said: "I warmly welcome the decision by Government to agree these amendments to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill. It is important to ensure that we have the best possible legislative basis for traffic management on the M50 if we are to safely improve traffic flow on the motorway network. Likewise, we need a robust basis in law for BusConnects if we are going to make sustainable public transport more effective and attractive. As we look towards developing technologies, the measures on PPTs will help to ensure that we can maintain flexibility in responding to developments in the rapidly evolving micromobility sector. While the Bill allows for the use of PPTs in public places, it also allows for regulations of how they can be used and extends existing offences under road traffic legislation to users of PPTs, thereby improving safety for all road users."